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Monday, November 03, 2008

On Sunday, we began a two week series on giving. As part of this series, I have written a devotional booklet on giving entitled "Shaped by God's Heart." This devotional is intended to be read with one's family, with a couple of questions and a prayer for each night. Below is today's devotional thought.

ScriptureDeuteronomy 8:10-14, 17-18 (The Message)After a meal, satisfied, bless GOD, your God, for the good land he has given you.Make sure you don’t forget GOD . . . Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up—make sure you don’t become so full of yourself and your things that you forget GOD, your God, the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery;the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness . . . If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Remember that GOD, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today.

Devotional ThoughtWhere do material blessings come from? It is easy to think that our hard work or skill brings about wealth. But we are living in houses we did not build and eating food that we did not grow.

All that we have and own, God has given to us. He is the one who has given us the “strength” to produce material blessings. People sometimes call the money that is given through the church, “the Lord’s money,” as if this money is to be spent carefully but the rest is “ours,” to do with however we please. This passage tells us that all money is “the Lord’s money.” By giving, we acknowledge God as the source of our blessing.

Questions to ask yourself and/or your family - If we believe that God is the source of wealth, how should this affect our giving?

Prayer - Father, help us to remember that it is you who gives us everything, and to acknowledge you as our “source” in our giving.----------------------------------------What thoughts or conversations did this devotional thought spur for you or your family?

About Me

I currently am a preaching minister, evangelist, and missional leader at the High Pointe Church of Christ in McKinney, TX.
I am working towards a Doctor of Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, studying missional church, evangelism, and postmodern culture. I give missional church and Spiritual gifts seminars for churches. I have written an evangelistic Bible study for postmoderns (Story of Redemption), New Members class material, and a work on Spiritual gifts.
I am blessed with a wonderful wife (Becki) of 13 years and two beautiful daughters (Gina-age 7, Emily-4), the loves of my life.